1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastener, more particularly to a fastener for securing a container on the deck of a cargo vessel or ship in which the components of the fastener can be easily and smoothly assembled and ineffective fastening can be avoided.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when containers are being transported in a cargo vessel or ship, in order to prevent undesired movement or toppling down of the containers 11 stacked on the ship as shown in FIG. 1, lashing ropes 2 and fastening assemblies 3 are used to secure the containers 11 to deck fittings (not shown) on a deck 12 of the ship. The conventional fastening assembly 3 includes a connecting member 31 and a connecting rod 32 that are connected in threaded engagement. However, when the ship pitches and rolls in a stormy sea, the threaded connection may be loosened thus resulting in disengagement of the connecting member 31 from the connecting rod 32 and, hence, ineffective fastening.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,634 proposes a “Positioning assembly for positioning a container on a platform,” which was intended to overcome the aforesaid drawback of the conventional fastening assembly. The positioning assembly includes a limiting seat formed with a limiting hole, and a platform-connecting rod that engages threadedly a container-connecting unit and that has an engaging stud portion for engaging the limiting hole to arrest rotation of the platform-connecting rod, thereby preventing undesired disengagement of the platform-connecting rod from the container-connecting unit.
In the conventional fastener described above, however, it is found that the process of attaching the platform-connecting rod to the limiting seat with the engaging stud of the platform-connecting rod engaging the limiting hole of the limiting seat cannot be performed smoothly, particularly due to the non-circular cross sectional shape of both the engaging stud and the limiting hole. The present invention is directed to such drawback.